Mechanical musical instrument.



'fliifoi' i-saswao.

PATENTED MAY 26, 1908. c. MABRTEN, JR.- MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29,'1908.

' s SHEETS-swan;

No. 888,830. PATENTED MAY 28, 1908 O-MAERTEN, JR.

M E'Q 'H'ANIGAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.29,1908.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Wz'irzessesx in). 888,830; 'PATENTEDMH 26, 1908.

0a MABRTEN, JR.

MEGHANIGAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENT;

- union-1911111112-11.29,190s.

's snug-mant s.

Z5. allgwhom it may concern: Be 1t-known that I, CHRISTIAN MAERTEN,

J12, 3F citizen of the United States residing at North Tonawanda, in thecounty of Niagara and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Mechanical Mu- 'sica'l Instruments, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Y invention relates to mechanical or self-iilaymgorgaris and othermusical in-.

stifumen'ts of the sort in which the pneumatic "devices, cont-rolled bya perforated music sheet traveling over the tracker-board and ada tedftoopen and close passages therein lea mg to the pneumatic devices,automatreally operate.theginstrument.

A Instruments of th s sort: are quite commonly used in :parks, skating.rinks, and other places of amusement where it is desirable to have theinstrumentrender musical selections at predetermmedi'or regularintervals of time, and

'while instruments have been made which i automatically stop at thetermination of one or more selections,' an attendant is ordinarilyrequired to again start the instrument.

The principal object of this invention is to provide anautomatic'starting and stopping mechanism for, seli playing musicalinstru- 'ments whereby the travel of the music sheet will be arrestedand the music stopped at the endiof each selection, and the music sheetagain started. after a period of time has elapsed and the next selectionthereon played,

- when the music sheet contains a plurality of selections, orthe-selection or se ections repeated, Without attention of an operative.

Other objects of the invention are to provide-an efficient starting andstopping mechanism for this purpose of simple construction which can beapplied to the instrument at small expense, and which can be readilyadjusted toregulate, as desired, the interval of timebetween'the-playing of the selections; also to provide-means whereby themusic can he started and stopped at will by hand; also to. rovide inconnccbion with the starting an stopping. mechanism, simple-means forchanging at will the speed of travel of musicsheet to govern the time ofthe music;

and also to improve instruments of this type in the particularshereinafter described and set forth in the claims. To this end, the-music sheet is provided, at the endof the A note perforationsfor eachselection thereon,

: Specification of'Let'ters Patent. ap iimitianmeirnuai 'eaieoa' SerialNo. 413,195.

*GHBISTIANJVIAERTEN, rR.,Yor';NoRrn TONAWANDA NEW YORK? MECHANICALviusicALiNsTBUMEn'i\- Patented May 2c, 1908-.-

' with a stop perforation which, when it regtion on the music sheet isplayed. music has been thus started, the starting train remains at restuntil the end of the selection is reached and the stop pneumatic isagain-actuated to stop the music, when the starting train will be againset in motion. The music is thus'automatically stopped at the end ofeach selection and again started after a definite-lapse of time.

' In the accompanying drawings, consisting of three sheets: Figure 1 isa rear elevation, partly in section, of a musical instrument providedwith a starting and stopping mechanism embodying the. invention, showingthe position of the parts when the instrument is not playin Fig. 2 is arear secand stopping mechanism, showing the position of the parts when.a selection 1s being played. F 1g. 3 IS a sectional elevation of the 33,Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view thereof in line 4-4, Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is. a transverse sectional elevation thereof, on an enlargedscale, in line 5-5, Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional elevationthereof, on an enlarged scale, in line'- 6 6, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is afragmentary sectional elevation thereof, in line 77, Fig. 6, showingadiiiercut po sition of the parts from that shown in Fig. 3.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

A represents the casing of the instrument, B the main exhaust bellows orreservoir for regulating the vacuum in the vacuum chamber for thevarious pneumatic motors or pneumatics (not shown) which control theaction of the instrument, 7) the exhaust trunk leading from said vacuumchamber 1 to the reservoir, C C the pumping bellows ing devices inaction so that the next selec' When the tional elevation of t 1e gearingof the starting starting and stopping mechanism in line,

' which connect cranks on the drive s aft to the movable boards of thepumping bellows O C for operating the same. These parts are common tothe ordinary self-playinginstrument and may be of' any usual or suitableconstruction and arrangement. In the instrument illustrated,the'reservoir and pumping bellows are arranged inthe upper part of thecasing, and. the upper board of the reservoir is stationarily secured inthe casing and the lower board thereof is movable, while the lowerboards of the pumping bellows C C are stationarily secured in the casingand the upper boards are movable. This arrangement, however, is notessential.

E represents the perforated music sheet which controls the operation ofthe instrument, and F the tracker-board overwhich the music sheettravels and which, as usual, is provided with passages with which theperforations of the music sheet register and which are connected bysuitable tubes or passages to the various pneumatics of the instrument.As shown, the tracker-board is supported in a suitable frame mounted ona horizontal-shelf or support f in the casing A. An endless music sheetis preferably employed as thereby the selection or selections containedon the sheet can be played in rotation and repeated as often as desired,by-feeding' the sheet always in one and the same direction and withoutnecessitating the rewinding thereof. A sheet which has to be rewoundcould, however, be

.usedwithout affectingthe o eration of the instrument until the last seection on the sheet is played, when the sheet could be rewound andthe'instrument again rewound by hand, or automatically, by mechanismwhich is well known for this purpose. The music sheet falls in folds ina suitable protecting box f 2 arrangedin the casing below the shelf fand passes over the trackerboard, ascending and descending throughsuitable slots f f in the shelf at opposite sides of the tracker-board.The slots are preferably 0 en at the rear edge of the shelf to permit 0the music sheet'being readily placed in position and removed forchanging the sheets, a removable bar f Fig. 1, being placedin a groovein the edge of the shelf bridging the slots f ffor properly supportingthe ortion of the shelf between the slots. T iis bar is removed forinserting and removing a sheet. The sheet passes over suitablesupporting rollers g g journaled in the framef at opposite sides of thetrackerboard, and is held down upon said rollers by upper rollers g gremovably journ-aled in the frame f. Small rollers g are also removablyjournaled in the frame f and bear upon the sheet at the o posite edgesof the" tracker-board to hold t e sheet in contact with the board andproperly guide it. One of the rollers, for instance, 9, is covered withrubber or other suitable material and constitutes the feed roller forthe music sheet, while the roller g above thefeed roller is made ofmetal or is suitably weighted so as to press the music sheet against thefeed roller with sufficient force to cause it to be ositively fedforward'by the rotation of the Feed roller. Any other suitable guide andfeed varrangement for the sheet could be em loyed.

he feed roller, 9 is driven preferably constructed as follows: H reresents a counter-shaft which is journale in suitable bearings 1depending from the shelf f, and is continuousl driven from the maindrive shaft D by a elt h passing around pulleys k h on the drive andcounter shafts. I represents ashaft movably mounted arallel with thecounter-shaft and 'rovide with a wheel 'i which is adapted to e placedinto suitable means, such as a chain ii passing:

around sprocket wheels i and 2'," on the shaft I- and the shaft of thefeed roller. In the construction shown, v the movable shaft 1 isjournaled in the free eird'of a suitable bearing frame K- which ishinged at its otherlend by mechanism I at k on the shelf f so that itsfree end can swing upwardly and downwardly away from and toward thecounter-shaft. A suitable spring is secured at one end of the shelf andtending to lower the same and. hold the friction wheels in drivincontact.

' The bearing frame for the movable shaft is connected by any suitableme ans to the reservoir B so as to be operated by the same. The meansshown consists of a lever L fulcrumed between its ends at l in anysuitable manner to a'stationary art of the instrument, with one endadjustably connected by a link 1 to the bearing frame, and the other endbearing against a fin er I projecting from the mov able bottom oardofthe reservoir B. When the bottom board of the reservoir is raised bvthe suction in the reservoir, which is the nor-- 1 tracker-board i indriving engagement, and the music-sheet will. be fed forwardly.

By ening the reseryoir-to the atmosphere, t e vacuum therein will bedestroyed and the bottom boardthereof will drop and,

through thedescribed connections, ralse the bearingfra-me K and lift thefriction wheel i cut of driving engagement with its 006 cratin'g wheel1', tostopthe music sheet. his is accomplished b the followin means: Thesuction trunk leading to t e reservoir B communicates byan opening mwith a valve box'mQFigs. 1 and 3, which has an o ening leading to theatmos here and contro led by a valve M, 'hereina ter called the exhaustvalve. The exhaust valve shown is hinged to one side of the box and asuitables rlng .0 erated by m tends to close it.

,7 foration n", Fig. 4, at the end of the note perforations foreachpiece of music thereon,

which is adapted to register with the passage n?- in the trackereboard.Whenever one of these stop perforations n registers with the assage,valves in the valve" i J box'n controlling the stop pneumatic N will beactuated to lacesaid pneumatic in com- .municat1on wit a pipe or fromthe valve box to t main vacuum chamber or other suction device of theinstrument, whereby the stop pneumatic will collapse and through itsconnections with the exhaust valve M, 0 en the same, as shown in musicsheet closes t e tracker-board from the sto 1, and stop t;e music sheet.Valves, such as commonl used for controlling the various pneumatlcs ofself-playing instruments, .can be employed for the stop pneu-- matic.The valve box n, see Fig. 6, is divided into upper and lower chambers bya partition provided with a hole controlled by a valve-n which isconnected to and operated by a diaphragm n. The valve n is connected byan arm to a valve'n controlling a hole in the valve box-connecting the uper chamber with the atmosphere. The tu e n neumatic leads to the u perchamber an ,t e suction pipe n leads rom the lower chamber of the box nwhile the tube n leading'to the tracker-board connects by suitable ductsin the valve box with the lower chamber of the box, and a chamber belowthe diaphra m n. So long'as the assage n, the air will be exhausted fromt e'diaphragm chamber and tracker board tube n1,

' which will hold the diaphragm n down the valve n? closed and the valve11- open, whereby air can enter the stop pneumatic, which The exhaust vaveis. a stop bellows or pneumatic N age fit leading p under the actionof its spring and the suction will remain expandedas shown in Fig. 3..When, however, a stop perforation n in the music sheet registers withthe tracker-board passage n air will enter the tube and lift thediaphragm n thereby opening the valve n and closingthe valve n whereuponthe air will be exhausted from the stop pneumatic and. the samecollapsed.

The means shown for connecting the stop pneumatic N to the exhaust valveM are constructed as follows: 0 is alink connected at one end totheexhaustvalve and adjustably con: nested-at the other end to one armof a lever 0 which is suitably fulcrumed at-0 on the shelf f and has anarm located beneath a lever p pivoted to one side of the casing'A.

This lever p in turn extends beneath a finger p projecting from themovable board of the stop pneumatic N, so that when said pneu'-' maticis collapsed, as explained, it will through the levers 0'11) and link 00 en the the stop pneumatic to open the exhaustvalve M 'f01" sto pingthe instrument. By turning the han shaft P to release the lever theexhaust valve will be allowed to close thereon, thereby again startingthe instrument. This arrangement of the connections between the stoppneumatic N and the exhaust valve M is preferable, because theinstrument can be stope'd and started at will by hand, but any -ot ersuitable connections could be employed. As the exhaust valve M exhaustValve M for sto pin the fee of the controls the exhaust trunk 11 ,itwill, when opened, destroy the vacuum in the main vacuum, chamber andsoprevent the sou-nd-- ing-of the speaking device in the event that themusic sheet is stopped with any of its perforations registering withpassages of the tracker-board. The location of the exhaust valve M inthe trunk 1) connecting the reservoir 13 to the main vacuum chamber istherefore desirable, but manifestly the stop pneumatic could stop themusic sheet through othermeans than the exhaust valve M and reservoir B.

The starting mechanism shown is .constructed as follows: Q, Figs; 1 and7, represents a latch which is j suitably pivoted on the shelf f and hasahook adapted to engage a finger or part q projecting from the movableboard of the stop pneumatic N. The latch is pressed toward theprojection or finger on the pneumatic-by a suitable spring q and has abeveled end so that when the pneumatic is collapsed the latch willautomatically engagethe fm'ger q and hold the movable board of thepneumatic down, as

shown in Fig. I, until the latch is operated to release the pneumatic.R, .Figs. 1 and 2, represents a shaft of-'the starting gear train.

Thi's shaft is movablymounted, for instance,

in a bearing 1' pivoted to theshelf f, and is provided at one end w th aworm wheel 7* meshing with a worm r on the counter-shaft H and at theother end with the worm r meshing with worm wheel 1" secured toa .camshaft r j ournaled in suitable bearings 1".

- The free end of the bearing for the shaft R is 'slidably mounted inany suitable manner on the shelf f and has an extension 1' arranged tobe engaged by an adjustable screw 7' projecting from the bearing frame Kfor the movable shaft I of the music sheet feed mechanism. A suitablespring 1" secured to the shelf bears against a projection on saidextensionr and tends to lift the same and the shaft R. Vl hen thebearing frame K is lowered to. place the friction wheels t i I startingtrain will be inactive.

in driving engagement, as explained, it will depressthe bearing r andshaftR and throw the "worm wheel r out of mesh with the worm r on thecounter-shaft so that the When, however, the bearing frame K is liftedto stop the feed of the music sheet as explained, the

spring T 'Wlll lift the bearing 1" and shaft R and place the worm wheel1" in mesh with the worm 'r and set the starting train in motion,

which will slowly rotate the cam shaft.

using wheels. 1" ofdifferent sizes and prop erly. adjusting the shaft R,the speed of the camshaftca'n be increased or decreased to givedifferent desired intervals between selections. Any other suitablespe,ed-re 1lucmg gearing for driving-the cam shaft slowly, and

which is thrown into action when the music sheet is stopped and out ofaction when the music sheet is started, could be employed.

A starting cam S, Figs. 3 and 7, is secured to the cam shaft 4' and atrip lever s, which is suitably pivoted at s, is held yieldingly againstthe cam-S by a suitable spring .9 and is adjustably connected to atrip'rod T which is slidably supported in a suitable bearing 15 with itsother end adjacent to the lower end of the latch Q for the stoppneumatic. A spring t secured to the trip rod and pressing against thebearing t tends to lift the free end the music sheet is stopped and thestarting train set in motion, the starting cam S will slowly revolve 1nthe direction indlcated by the arrow in F 1g. 7 and retract the triplever s and trip rod T. When the wedge t on the trip rod. clears thehearing if, the spring t" will lift the free end of the trip rod to aposition opposite to the lower end of the latch When the high part ofthe cam clears the part of the trip lever bearing thereon, the

spring 3 will pull the trip lever and tri r' rod forwardly and thelatter will swing the atch Q to release the stop pneumatic. "Before thetrip rod reaches the limit of its advance movement-the wedge 15 willdepress itsfreeend out of engagement with the end of the'latch Q, thusleaving the latch free to engage and hold the stop pneumatic when it isagain collapsed.

The movable friction wheel i of the music sheet driving mechanism ispreferably adjustable, by any suitable means, axially on its shaft 1 sothat it can be moved to bear on a larger or smaller part ofthe Wheel tto change the speed of the music sheet. In the construction shown, theshaft I is square in cross-section and the wheel is shifted thereon by alever U which is pivoted on the bearing frame K for said shaft and isconnected by a link a and fork u to the grooved hub of the Wheel i. Thespeed of the music sheet can be readily changed as desired at any time,by a proper adjustment of the shift lever U. The counter-shaft Hcarryingthe cone wheel is preferably arranged at an angle to the shaft Iso that the top face of the cone wheel will be parallel with the shaft Iand thus enable the wheels t t to be engaged and disengaged by likevertical movements of the frame K. regardless of the adjustment of thewheel i on its shaft 1.

\Vhile the starting and stopping mechanism 1s prnmirily intended forapplication to pneumatically operated. instruments, and 1' "anda'timegtaaiag a asses;wa t-asst In motion by theactuation-ofsaidstopping means and automatically starts saidtraveling member-again afterlapse oftime', sub

stantially asset forth, I 1

In amusi'ca'l instinment, the combination with the traveling music sheetwluch controls the operation of the instrument, of

means also controlled by said music sheet for stopping the feed of themusic sheet at the end of a selection, and a time starting mechanismwhich is set in motion by the actuation ,of said stopping means andautomatically starts said music sheet again, after a lapse of time,substantially as set forth.

13-. In a musical instrument, the combination with the traveling musicsheet which controls the 0 eration of the instrument, of a pneumatic aso controlled by said 'music sheet, means controlled by said pneumaticfor stopping the feed of said music sheet, a

time starting mechanism which is set in motiorr by said stopping meanswhen actuated, and a releasing device tor said pneumatic which is.act'uated by said starting mechanism after a lapse of time,substantially as set forth.

4. .In a musical instrument, the combina- '.tion: with the musicsheet'which controls the 'pperation of the instrument, ofrfeed mechanismfor said music sheet, pneumatic means for starting and stopping saidfeed mechanism. a stop neumatic which is controlled by saidmusic s ieetand controls said feed mechanism, time starting mechanism which is setin motion by said pneumatic means when actuated to stop the feed of themusic sheet,

music sheet, and a time starting mechanism which isset in motion by saidconnections and automatically controls said valve operating meanstocause said b l ows to start the music sheet after a lapse cl time,substantially as set forth.

6. In a musicalinstrument, the combination of a music sheet, means forfeeding the same, neumatic means which are controlled bv sai music sheetand which in turn control said feed means and the s peaking devices ofthe instrument, and a time starting mechanism which set in motion saidpneu and controls said pneumatic matic me 'f'means forautomaticallystarting the music sheet and rendering the speaking devicesactive aftera lapse of time, substantially as "sctio fthh i i 7: liramusical instrument, the combinause of amusi'c sheetwhich-controls theoperatio'n off-the. instrument, feed "mechanism therefor, a bellows andconnections or the like for stopping and starting said feed niech anism,means including a pneumatic which are controlled by said musicsheet andcontrol the operation of said bellows, a latch for holding saidpneumatic; when operated to stop the sheet feed mechanism, and a timestarting mechanism which is set in motion by said bellows connectionswhen said feed mechanism is sto ed and which automatically actuatessaidi iatch to release said neu- -matic after a lapseof time,fsubstantia ly as set forth.

8. In a musical instrument, the combination of'a musicsheet whichcontrols the operation of the instrument, feed mechanismtherefor'comprising a gear which is movable into and out of drivingengagement with a cooperating gear to start and stop the music sheet, abellows or the like andconnections which control the position of saidmovable controlled by said music sheet and control said bellows, alatc'hfor holding said pneumatic when operated to stop the music sheet, astarting device for actuating said latch to release said pneumatic, anda time mechanprising cooperating gears one of whichv is moved intodriving engagement with the other by said bellows connections when themusic sheet is stopped, substantially as set forth.

9; In a musical instrument, the combination with the music sheet whichcontrols the operation of the instrument, of feed mechanism for saidmusic sheet, means controlled by said music sheet for stopping said feedmechanism at the end of a selection, and a time -starting mechanismwhich is set in motion by said stopping means and automatically startssaid feed mechanism after a lapse of time, said feed mechanism includingmeans for regulating the speed of the music sheet, substantially as setiorth.

it). In a musical instrument, the combina tion with ,the travelingmember which controls the operation of the instrument, of means alsocontrolled by said traveling membar for stopping the same at the end ofa selection, a time starting mechanism which is set in motion by theactuation of said stopping means and automatically st-arts saidtraveling member again after a lapse of time, and manually operatedmeans for stopping and starting said traveling member at will,

7 substantially as set forth.

gear, means including a pneumatic which are ism for operating saidstarting device, come 1.1. In a musical instrument, the e0mbinatime, andmanually operated means i'm stop- 10 t'ion' with the traveling musicsheet which ping and starting sald music sheet will controls theoperation of the instrument,- of substantially as set forth. means alsocontrolled by said music sheet for i Witness my hand, this 22d. day ofJanuary, stopping the feed of the music sheet at the E 1908. end of aselection, a time starting lteehan- CHRISTIAN MAERTEN, JR. ism which isset in'motion by the actuation l Vvitnesses:

of saii'stopping means and automatically C. W. PARKER, starts sald muslcsheet agam after a, lapse of r B. HORN BECK.

